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Newfoundland Raisin Buns

Newfoundland Raisin Buns. Traditional Newfoundland raisin tea buns are a cousin to scones and biscuits. Everyone’s Mom or Nan made them. Perfect with a steaming cup of tea.

Raisin Tea Buns

Newfoundland Raisin Buns

Newfoundland Raisin Buns. Can there be any doubt that the raisin bun is an icon of Newfoundland baking? It would be nearly impossible to find a single person raised in this province who’smother or grandmother did not bake this most popular of staples in the Newfoundland kitchen.

Newfoundland Raisin Buns

UPDATE: September 24, 2014. This old time Newfoundland raisins buns recipe has been one of the most popular on Rock Recipes over the last 7 years. In making a list of the TOP 25 recipes in that time this one came in at number 18.

I have heard from countless ex-patriot Newfoundlanders as well as new bakers inside the province who have told me that a Google search for Raisin Buns is what led them to initially discover RockRecipes.com in the first place. That still happens on almost a daily basis and I look forward to welcoming many more in the future.

2017 update: Some people have experienced their buns spreading on a cookie sheet, so I have added a couple of tips in the notes section of the recipe. My grandmothers never made them on a baking sheet anyway, I just like them that way.

They would have made smaller buns and placed and tight together in a 9×13 pan, so that they can hold each other up s they rise. I still do that sometimes, especially if I am making a lot of them to freeze or serve at a big brunch.

I start these in my food processor because it is so fast but they can be made just as easily in a large bowl by cutting the butter in with a pastry blender or just rubbing it into the dry ingredients using your hands like Nan did.

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Cut in the butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Transfer to a large bowl and toss in the raisins.

Make a well in the center of the dry mix.

Mix together the lemon juice, vanilla and milk.Pour into the well and mix only enough to form a dough ball.

Roll to 1 inch thickness and cut out buns with biscuit cutter and place on parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Baking time will vary depending on the size of your biscuit cutter. This recipe makes 16 tea buns.

Recipe Notes

Only use real butter in this recipe. Substitutes like can cause issues with sticky dough etc.

Make sure your surface is well floured before you drop the dough onto it, you can sprinkle a little flour on top before you from it into a circle to roll out. The goal is to keep the dough as soft and unworked as possible.

I usually sprinkle on flour and fold the dough only about 3 times. So, while you can add more flour while working the dough into shape, don't overdo it or your raisin will be less soft and tender.

Do not roll them too thin; never thinner than 1 to 1 1/2 inches. The larger the buns the thicker I tend to cut them.

Make sure you oven is well preheated and use aluminum bakeware when possible. Steel/alloy pans can carry heat too quickly and like they do sometimes with cookies, spread wider on the pan before they get the chance to lift.

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Comments

I’ve been having a craving for tea buns lately, and no I’m preggy!! lol I’m originally from the Rock but live in the U.S.now, and lately I’ve been craving some good old fashioned delights from back home. I’m going to try your recipe for these buns, so I will let you know how they turned out.

Barry I don’t know if your the right person or not..I may have been your parents care giver ..I was just talking about Mr Parsons and craving tea buns peg made looked on line for a recipe ..then I seen Barry Parsons could it be a coincidence

Just made the raisin tea buns and they were AWESOME!!!! Even better than our family recipe. It was uber-early when I woke up craving them and I couldn’t call mom for the recipe at that hour so found your site and tried them out and my husband and toddler just devoured them. Thanks so much for posting this recipe. Can’t wait to look over the rest of your site now.

Made these today! They were super easy to make (even without the processor). I’ve never really liked raisins, so my grandmother always makes them with chocolate chips for me. I used chocolate chips in this recipe, and it turned out great! It was a great treat after playing in the snow with the kids 🙂

My mom would usually put a couple egg yolks yolks in and the texture and rise would be beautiful. She would also add some custard powder to her dry mix (she could then omit the vanilla). They were amazing and she was known for her delicious tea buns.

YUP!! You’ve NAILED IT!! My Aunt use to make these for us when we were growing up. I just made 3 batches: raisin, cheddar cheese and Chedder cheese with ham(the ham ones were usually made from the leftover ham dinner)
THANK YOU ROCK RECIPIES for bringing me back to my childhood!!!

Thought I found a good bun recipe but technically, these aren’t really buns. They are tea biscuits or scones, because real buns are made just like bread that rises, only in this case, sweeter and with raisins. Oh well, I’ll keep searching.

My room mate came home with a box of raisins. I asked what the raisins were for. He then told me that I had to make raisin tea buns like his grandmother used to make. I grew up on the mainland, and never had tea buns before, and so a Google search led me here.
I don’t enjoy cleaning my food processor, so I grated some cold butter on my cheese grater. The texture of these buns is just perfect. I would make these again, and again, just to fill my house with this incredible smell. And the flavour is beyond anything I ever expected. Thank you!

Hi Barry, used to make these years ago when I lived home. Can’t say why I stopped. Too bad tho. Anyhow I remember making them with fresh milk. I know the milk consistency is different and the taste lol, but what’s your take on using fresh milk?

I’ve been looking for a good raisin bun recipe for quite a while. Just took these out of the oven about 10 minutes ago and they’re perfect. So much like my own Nan’s. Every year when we come back to NL my husband is always buying them so this year I decided to make them. Everyone loves them, especially my husband! Thanks so much for sharing all of your recipes, they’re delicious!

I want to try these. But my husband and daughter just gave me a resounding no when I said I wanted to try a different recipe. Mine have eggs, and they don’t have vanilla or lemon juice, and my family LOVES them. They love them so much that they never let me make any other tea buns. But I only like them. They don’t taste like my Nan’s at all, and I have a suspicion yours would. Now to convince the fam jam…

Hello. After watching Downton Abbey over and over and watching the cooking I see the cutting of biscuits that looked like there were raisins in them and I love scones and biscuits and wondered does history ever record putting cinnamon in this recipe? Thank you. I googled English raisin biscuits and hit your site.

Wow these are so simple to make. They turned out delicious. Beating out me tea bun recipe that I have used for years now.
I am from Newfoundland, and miss all Newfoundland traditional recipes. This one is a keeper!

Can’t wait to try this.. I hate to sound dumb but i never bake what do you mean by “Pour the liquid mixture into the well and mix only enough to form a dough ball.” So don’t completely mix it? I’m confused… lol can you explain this process in more detail

I made these without raisins because of my fussy kids – that was my mistake! I guess if you take away the fruit or don’t substitute other add ins, the mixture is too wet. I had to add about 1/2 cup more flour and the result was hockey pucks!!

Do you have a solution if your family wants boring ol’ plain buns?

BTW – every other recipe I have tried from your cookbooks has worked out perfectly. I have given the books as gifts to all my family from away.

It isn’t unusual in recipes like this to add a little more flour than is called for. A lot of it depends on your measuring method. 1/2 cup is a fair bit though. You’ll probably be fine using less as an addition. I like to keep this dough soft. You shouldn’t be able to knead it like bread. That can cause hockey pucks!

I grew up in Philadelphia, PA (U.S.) and every bakery offered what they simply called Tea Biscuits. I’m now over 50 and have been trying to duplicate Tea Biscuits for half my life. All the bakeries are very secretive about what’s in them (all I got from my inquiries and google searches was vanilla and buttermilk) and even the grocery store bakeries just throw some raisins in regular biscuits and call them Tea Biscuits. I’ve literally tried dozens of recipes and none of them were quite right. Until today! Your recipe is spot on. I’m convinced someone came from Newfoundland to Philly a century or so ago, started baking these and called them Tea Biscuits. Thanks so much for posting these. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that my search is finally over and ended in such a delicious way. 🙂 (BTW, my dough was pretty sticky so I may add a bit more flour. I had to keep adding it when I was patting it down on the counter before cutting, causing probably too much handling.)

I have tried several of your recipes and I have your “Rock Recipes” cook book and everything I’ve tried I have loved! And you did not disappoint with this recipe either! These are the best raisin tea buns I’ve had in a long time, possibly the best. I also followed the recipe to a “tea”. lol Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Thank you for all the great recipes 🙂

Hi Barry. I am just learning about your recipes and decided to try some. I love Newfoundland recipes the ones my mom always made. I tried the bread this afternoon still sitting quite comfortable on my counter rising. (I hope it rises lol). I was wondering about the recipe for raisin buns is it necessary to put lemon juice in there. Never did with the book recipes. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes

Made these today but added an egg…may be it wasn’t necessary,but always used an egg in my other recipe, but yummy, very delicious…Next time I will omit the egg..just to see the difference.Thanks go sharing

Hi Barry,
Just recently discovered your site and I love it! My husband’s daughter and son in law live in St. Johns and we love coming to visit from Ontario. It is an amazing province with beauty around every corner.
Tonight was my second try at the tea buns. Tbe flavour was great, but they didn’t rise properly. I used a 21/2 inch biscuit cutter and this time a brand new package of baking powder. The dough was a much better consistency this time, but they don’t look beautiful like yours!

What am I doing Wrong?? I followed your recipe exactly and the buns turn out Flat. Not like the picture. They don’t Rise. I’m thinking that it might be too much Baking Powder. Your recipe call for 4 teaspoons. Is that too much Barry? I don’t know what else it could be. But they are very Tasty anyways. I like how soft they are.

Enjoying your recipes and trying my hand at baking like my Nana used to do. Do you used salted or unsalted butter in your recipes as I use unsalted and the Raisin Tea Buns seem to need more salt.
Also made the Moose Farts. So fun and delicious.
Thanks for a taste of Newfoundland!

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Hi, I'm Barry. I'm Dad to 2 amazing kids, author of 3 best-selling cookbooks, a freelance food writer & full time blogger. My lifetime love of cooking & baking has led me to share over 1600 recipes on this blog over the last 10 years. Come back often, there's always great new food & recipes coming out of my St. John's, Newfoundland kitchen!

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